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The stakes are much higher and totally different as Argos coach Scott Milanovich prepares for his second training camp on the job.

If anyone imagines otherwise, they aren’t hearing the message Milanovich is sending out.

“They know what to expect now so we’re going to expect a little bit more from them,” Milanovich said as his team prepares to open full training camp Sunday morning in Mississauga.

Entering the season with what looks like an imposing roster anchored by veteran quarterback Ricky Ray and with the target that goes with being the defending Grey Cup champions etched on their backs, the Argos cannot ease into the season.

There can’t be a repeat of last season, when they took some time to find themselves as a team, plodding along until they caught fire and caught up with each other eventually rolled to the 100th Grey Cup.

“I’m expecting them to be focused and for them to remember what it took for us to improve a year ago and that they’re in a little bit better shape than they were a year ago,” said the coach.

“I think the tempo (of last year’s camp, Milanovich’s first) was a little bit more than what a lot of them had known. They picked it up quick and embrace it and I expect them to come out flying.”

The mainly veteran Argos won’t have a lot of time to do anything but come out flying if they want to start the season the right way. They play their first exhibition game in Winnipeg in less than two weeks and open the regular season at home on June 28 against Hamilton.

Having the familiarity that comes with last season’s success should make things much easier.

“As a team, we just have that confidence,” said Ray, owner of a new three-year contract extension. “Last year, everybody was just trying to figure out their roles, we had no game experience together, we didn’t know what to expect form each other.

“I think it took us a little while for us to figure that out . . . I think just the confidence of knowing that if we’re playing good football we can play with anybody. That’s going to be the challenge for us this year — just to play good football, play great football, just play it a little bit earlier.”

There will inevitably be competition for key positions as camp unfolds, but there is one fewer receiver for Ray to worry about getting acclimated with. The Argos announced Friday they had released Mike Williams, a former American college standout and first-round NFL draft pick.

Two-a-day workouts begin Sunday after veterans had their physicals on Saturday. Milanovich’s balancing act of finding out what newcomers can do while getting veterans ready begins in earnest, especially for the 33-year-old Ray.

“He still needs a lot of reps, it’s something we’re talking about continually is how we get Ricky his reps and still get the younger guys the reps they need to battle for the No. 2 spot and No. 3 spot.

“We’re going to wait and see with the pre-season — he (Ray) probably won’t play as much as he did last year.”

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